Gar-coupling



(No Model.) Y

W. .W. DAVIS. GAR OOUPLINQ,

No. 453,382. Patented June Z, 1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM \V. DAVIS, OF PENNS PARK, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 453,382, dated June 2,1891.

Application filed February 25 1891. Serial No. 382,697. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. DAVIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Penns Park, Bucks county, State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to car-couplers, and more particularly to thatclass of car-couplers which may be termed automatic life-savingcouplers, in which the cars can be coupled and uncoupled without thenecessity of the operator or brakeman exposing himself by passingbetween the adjacent ends of the cars being coupled.

My invention has for its object to provide an exceedingly simple, cheap,and effective coupler whereby these ends maybe obtained, and which shallbe especially adapted to freight-cars, either of platform or box shape,and which, while it is simple and effective, may be applied to cars asordinarily constructed without material change, thereby rendering itunnecessary to remodel the platform to any material extent;

My invention consists of a car-coupler embodying the features ofconstruction and arrangement, substantially as hereinafter more fullypointed out, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which likeletters of reference refer to similar parts in each of the figures.

Figures 1 and 2 are respectively side views of the ends of two cars ofthe box pattern having my improvement attached thereto. Fig. 3 is a planview of the two cars, showing the coupler in position. Fig. 4 is aperspective view of the coupling device, and Fig. 5 is a similar view ofthe modification.

The needs of an automatic life-saving carcoupler which is suitable forattachments of cars as ordinarily constructed have long been someconnecting device, whereby the cars will be automatically coupled; andmy invention relates more particularly to this general form of couplers,and I will now more particularly describe its construction andoperation.

In the drawings,Arepresents the car-body, in this particular case itbeing an ordinary box car, and this body is provided with the usualbumpers B B, proj eoting from the ends of the cars and adapted toimpinge upon each other and receive the shock when the cars are broughttogether for the purposes of coupling. All cars have to be provided withsome such means, and Itherefore utilize these bumpers for supporting thecoupling mechanism.

While in some instances, as cars made from a single manufactory andtherefore having a uniform height from the track, it would bepracticable to apply the coupling device directly to the bumpers, I havefound it better inmost instances to attach to the bumpers blocks orbearing-pieces G C, which may be of any desired or necessaryheight tosupport the coupler acertain distance above the track, so as to clearthe bumper of the adjacent car when coupling takes place.

The coupling device D consists, essentially, of two side pieces E F,united by suitable rods or cross-ties G G and having their ends unitedto form a hook H, although in some instances the ends need not beunited, but both may bebent to form two hooks, as shown at H, Fig. 5.These hooks should be made in a substantial manner and have asubstantial turn, so as to embrace What may be termed a draw rod or barof the complementary partin the manner not to be easily detachedtherefrom or otherwise thrown out of position. This draw rod or bar isthe cross-bar G of the coupler, and the hook H is caused to engage thiscross-bar, as clearly seen in Fig. 3, when the cars are coupled. Thecoupling device is secured to the blocks 0 in any suitable way, as bythe lugs or bearings c, which may be formed integral with the block 0 orsecured thereto by suitable bolts or connections therewith in any othersubstantial manner.

In order to further stiffen the coupling device, I provide aconnecting-bar I between the sides E and F, and to this bar I attach aplate J, which is arranged to engage the end piece K of the car as isusually constructed, a mortise 7.: being preferably formed therein, asshown in Fig. 1, and this plate will serve to hold the coupling part ina horizontal position and prevent its falling downward, so as to beengaged by the bumper on the opposite car and to insure its being inposition to be engaged by the complementary coupling portion when thecars are brought together in the act of coupling.

In order that the coupling portion may be elevated, as shown in Fig. 2,without the necessity of the brakeman exposing himself between the cars,I provide some suitable means,- as a chain L, which passes over a pulleyZ and is connected with the lever M, the handle N of which preferablyextends above the root of the car, or in some instances may extendlaterally from the side of the car in a position to be operated by thebrakeman, and by this arrangement or some equivalent means the couplermay be turned up in the position shown in Fig. 2, where it rests bygravity against the end of the car, ready to be thrown into a looking orcoupling engagement when the cars impinge against each other by the jaror momentum imparted to the coupling device.

From the above description of the construction and arrangement of partsthe operation of the device will be apparent to those skilled in theart, and it is only necessary to say that when two cars are to becoupled the respective portions of the couplers on their adjacent endsare arranged in the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2, that in Fig. 1being supported by the plate J in a horizontal po sition, while theportionin Fig. 2 rests against I the end of the car, ready to be throwndownward by any jar or impulse imparted to it. \Vhen the bumpers Bcontact with each other in the act of coupling, the coupler D is thrownover and its hook H engages the draw rod or bar G of the complementarycoupler and the cars are coupled. It may be remarked that there isusually a space of a few inches between the adjacent ends of the bumperswhen the cars are coupled, and this allows for the inclination of thecars in rounding curves and responding to the inequalities of the track;but it will be found that there is no liability to disconnect thecoupling, as

the coupling portion D normally rests upon and is supported by theportion D, and its hook II, even if it should become disengaged from therod G, will immediately re-cngage therewith when force is applied totend to separate the cars.

It will readily be understood that, it perchance, any accident shouldhappen to the hook or rod of one coupliugportion the position of theportions can be relatively changed so that the hook of the portion Dwould engage the corresponding rod D of the portion D, and I thusprovide each car with practically two means of coupling or connectingthem.

While I have shown the coupler as made of bar or plate iron, it will beunderstood, of course, that round or other form of iron can be used andthe configuration of the coupling parts can be varied to suit theexigencies of any particular case.

\Vhat I claim is- 1. A car-coupler consisting, essentially, of twometallic bars joined by tie-rods, the ends of the bars being formed intoa hook, one of the tie-rods acting as a coupling-rod for the hook of thecomplementary part of the coupling and another tie-rodoperating as apivot for the coupler, substantially as described.

2. A cancoupler consisting, essentially, of the side bars E and F,having their ends formed into a hook II, the bars being united by thecross-pieces G G, the former of which serves as a coupling-rod for thecomplementary coupling portion and the latter of which serves as a meansfor attaching the coupler to the car, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the bumpers of a car, of the blocks attachedthereto, a coupler pivotally mounted on said block, the said couplerbeing provided with a plate, as J, engaging the end beam of the car forsupporting the coupler in its horizontal position, substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination, with the -bumpers, of the supporting-blocks attachedthereto, the coupling portions pivotally connected to the blocks, eachportion consisting, essentially, of the side bars having a hook formedat one end, and connecting-rods between the said bars, one of whichserves as a coupling-pin, while the other serves as a means ofconnecting the coupler to the blocks, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the bumpers of a car, of a block supportedthereon, a coupler consisting of two portions, each of which ispivotally connected to the blocks on one of the cars, a plate connectedto the coupler portion to support it in horizontal position, andconnections mounted on the car-body for raising the coupler portion toan elevated position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM DAVIS.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM C. DAVIS, HARRY A. KRUsEN.

